Catherine Zeta-Jones understood Michael Douglas' statement

Catherine Zeta-Jones insists Michael Douglas did the right thing in preemptively denying claims of sexual harassment against him.

The 48-year-old actress believes there is no one who supports the Me Too anti-harassment initiative more than herself and her husband, so she understands why he issued a statement last week to address rumours he had behaved inappropriately towards a female employee over 30 years ago.

Catherine said: "My reaction was that as two people who have been in this business - him longer than me -- was that we support 'Me Too' and the movement more than anybody, anybody - me as a woman, him as a man.

"And there was no other way than to be preemptive in a story that had to be watched. He did a statement, he did it. I think it's very clear the way that he stands. I cannot elaborate on something that's so very personal to him."

But Catherine - who has children Dylan, 17, and 14-year-old Carys with Michael - thinks it is an "amazing" time for women at the moment and is impressed that so many have come forward to open up about their experiences.

She told 'Entertainment Tonight': "We're seeing changes that have taken many years to even be talked about. It's an amazing time for women, and I really want women to remember how strong we are in numbers.

"This is going to die down. This is not going to be at the forefront of everyone's mind forever and ever and we're going to have to be kind to each other.

"We can't ask everyone else to be kind to us unless we're kind to each other."

Michael, 73, revealed last week he "felt the need to get ahead of" the "cautionary tale" by speaking out after he was approached for comment on a number of claims she had made against him, including that he touched himself in front of her, "spoke raunchily" with pals and "blackballed her".

He said: "She claims that, one, I used colourful language in front of her, not at her, but that I used colourful language.

"Two, she claims that in conversations I had in front of her, on the phone, that I spoke raunchily, or dirtily with friends of mine, in private conversations.

"I fired her eventually, for the work she was doing, but three, she claims that I blackballed her from the industry and stopped her form getting another job.

"And then, four, she claims that I masturbated in front of her."

The 'Fatal Attraction' star apologised for using bad language in front of the employee but insists he did not blackball her and it is a "complete lie" that he touched himself in front of her.

He said: "I don't know where to begin. This is a complete lie, fabrication, no truth to it whatsoever."

Michael - who was approached by The Hollywood Reporter, who provided the woman's claims to him - also admitted he has found the allegations "extremely painful" to deal with, particularly because his children were "really upset" and "scared" about the claims.